


Liberatio

by bavarian_angel



Category: MotoGP RPF, Motorcycling RPF, Motorsport RPF
Genre: Abuse, Alternate Universe - Slavery, Angst, M/M, Modern Era, hints of violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-14
Updated: 2016-09-14
Packaged: 2018-08-15 00:54:07
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,811
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8035960
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bavarian_angel/pseuds/bavarian_angel
Summary: Usually taken from their families as children or teens, their will broken by the hands of their slaver before being sold to the highest bidder. The only way for a slave to gain freedom again was being freed willingly by their master.





	Liberatio

**Author's Note:**

> Tbh I don’t even know how this happened. It was supposed to be a simple prompt ( _Unbind me!_ ) fulfilment and grew into this. I hope it isn’t too confusing and that you will enjoy it :)
> 
> **Warnings: 1) Valentino isn’t a nice guy in here.  
>  2) There are hints and references of physical and sexual abuse. Please proceed with caution if those are triggers for you.**

Jorge hated those social gatherings - especially when he was forced to attend in the name of his father, who once again lay at home, too drunk to make a difference between the maid and his wife. And of course, it had to be at the Rossi house. However, he had to be seen at those events. Word got around quickly in their social class. It could bring unrepairable damage to their name if he didn’t attend.

As much as he hated it, Jorge found himself sitting on one of the big couches in the living room of Valentino’s Tuscan villa, nursing his first and only glass of champagne. The people around him were laughing and talking, all while he hoped that the day would be over very soon.

Captured by the loudest laugh, Jorge looked up at Valentino who was standing on the other side of the room, gathering quite a few people around him. One could actually think that he was the centre of the universe and Jorge was pretty sure that the Italian thought of himself as such. And Jorge hated it. They had been forced to do some presentation together a while ago. From the very first word, they both had known that they wouldn’t like each other...

The sound of a bell filled the room and soon everybody had gone quiet while Valentino was talking to one of his maids, before he turned towards his guests with a smile.

“It looks like the food is ready. Please help yourself to as much and whatever you want. There’s plenty of it in the kitchen.”

The people applauded as several young men and women appeared, carrying heavy plates with all kind of delicacies. Jorge couldn’t even manage to smile.

The metal cuffs around the wrists of the servers, despite being unbind, showed very clearly that they weren’t just servants. They were slaves. Actually, everybody with a certain rank or in a certain social class had slaves. It showed how important you were in the society. However, Jorge couldn’t understand how people actually enjoyed the idea of owning somebody, doing anything one wished to do with them. Usually taken from their families as children or teens, their will broken by the hands of their slaver before being sold to the highest bidder. The only way for a slave to gain freedom again was being freed willingly by their master.

Jorge had grown up in a wealthy environment, actually never living a life without slaves, but as soon as he had started thinking with his own head, he had refused to use their services whenever possible. Personally, he only owned one slave - a present for his 18th birthday. However, despite the obvious signs, he didn’t think of Dani as a slave. By now he would actually call him a friend, even though they had to get used to each other at first.

Jorge knew that he hadn’t really treated the slightly older man kindly at first, but after the last few years they had started to trust each other - even so far that Jorge had tried to let him free on a few occasions, but it actually had been Dani who had refused because in his old life he had such a high debt that he would never be able to repay it. He would have to fear for his life every single day, so he rather chose to stay with Jorge and serve him for as long as he lived.

Jorge watched the slaves intensely, some of them so young; his heart broke for them. He was about to get up from where he was sitting, definitely not feeling hungry at the moment, when a young man appeared in front of him. He seemed to be in his early twenties and was carrying a plate with salmon and shrimp nibbles. Without a word, he got down on his knees, offering the delicacies on the plate to Jorge. But Jorge could only stare at him.

He was looking right at him and he had the most beautiful eyes Jorge had ever seen, a deep chocolate brown surrounded by long lashes. Jorge immediately knew that he was something special - he could tell by the simple fact that he was looking back at him. Usually slaves weren’t allowed to look at strangers unless they told them so. Still feeling a bit sick in his stomach, Jorge shook his head at the food, but as soon as the young man was about to get up, he gestured him to stay.

“What is your name?”

For a moment the young man looked startled, obviously not used to people asking him questions like that. He hesitated and quickly looked over his shoulder before replying in a quiet voice.

“Marc.”

“Where are you from, Marc?”

“I... I’m... from Spain, my lord. Catalunya.”

“Oh please, don’t call me...”

“Jorge.”

His name being said with an heavy Italian accent, slight venom clearly detectable, made them both look up. Valentino was standing right behind Marc, laying his hand possessively on the younger man’s shoulder. Jorge immediately saw the shiver running down Marc’s back, his eyes on the floor in front of them. Looking back up at Valentino, he was met with a sly grin.

“I see, you met Marc. Isn’t he lovely? Bit feisty from time to time, but he knows who he belongs to. He’s part of my very personal collection...”

Valentino slowly stroked Marc’s hair and face, making his slave clearly uncomfortable.

“Unfortunately, he’s not for sharing. But who knows, maybe I can invite you to a little demonstration of his skills later tonight. What do you say, Marc? Would you like Jorge to see you service me tonight?”

“I’m... I’m glad to be of any kind of service for you, Master.”

“Good boy. Now hurry, my guests are hungry. I don’t want to leave them waiting.”

With a short nod, Marc got up from his knees, almost dropping his plate, when he felt Valentino’s hand on his ass, before quickly walking over to another group of guests. Jorge just wished he could wipe the dirty grin from Valentino’s face, once and for all.

~*~

Despite being on the look out, Jorge hadn’t seen Marc for the rest of the day. The gathering had dragged on for hours, one boring conversation after another one, and just after the last course of dinner had been served, Jorge finally found an opportunity to excuse himself. Now, after a not really refreshing shower, he was sitting on his bed in one of Valentino’s countless guest rooms, wondering about his earlier encounter with Valentino and Marc. Just when he was about to get ready to go to sleep, assuming that Valentino had forgotten about it, there was a knock on his door.

“Come in.”

Not really knowing what to expect, Jorge frowned at the young man entering the room. He was tall, with wavy brown hair; and he had the same cuffs as Marc around his wrists.

“Good evening, Sir. My name is Lorenzo. My master has told me to bring you into his chambers for a small midnight treat.”

Jorge just nodded grimly at his partly namesake and got up from his bed to follow the young slave. Walking along heavily decorated corridors into Valentino’s private part of the villa, Jorge was glad that he had not yet changed for the night. Appearing in only his boxers wouldn’t have been decent after all. They arrived at a huge door, before Lorenzo once again bowed down and stepped to the side.

“My master awaits you.”

“Thank you.”

Lorenzo knocked on the door, opened it after a muffled _Yes_ from inside and stepped back. Jorge felt a lump forming in his throat as he walked through the door, which was quickly shut after him.

“Ah, Jorge...”

Valentino was splayed out on a huge bed in the middle of the room, still wearing his dinner clothes, only a few buttons popped open on his shirt, giving a hint of his naked chest. Low music was playing in the background as Jorge hesitatingly took a few steps into the room which was lit into a soft light by several small lamps. Seeing the grin on Valentino’s face, made a shiver run down his spine. The older man gestured towards a small seating area opposite of the bed and Jorge immediately got the feeling that he wasn’t the first one to be invited for a little show in these chambers.

“Please have a seat. There’s something to drink on that table there. I hope you’ll enjoy yourself...”

As soon as Jorge had sat down on the lounger, Valentino got up from his position on the bed, walking over to a small hidden door on the far away wall. He opened it with a swift motion and stepped back as a figure appeared into the low light of the room.

“Our guest is here.”

Jorge could barely suppress his gasp as he laid his eyes on Marc. The younger man was completely naked, with his hands bound behind his back. His body was almost glowing and one could think that a Greek god had just appeared in human form right in front of him. However, something else attracted Jorge’s attention way more than Marc’s obvious beauty.

Despite the low light, he could clearly make out the tiny hints of bruises on his cheek and around his neck - at least as much as he could see around the golden collar Marc was wearing. And he was one hundred percent sure that those dark spots hadn’t been there in the afternoon.

“As I noticed how fond of Marc you got this afternoon, I got this idea for a little demonstration of his skills for you. So please, sit back and enjoy it.”

Valentino’s laugh made the hair on his neck stand up. Gripping the edge of his seat so tight that his knuckles turned white, Jorge looked on as Valentino grabbed the short leash hanging from Marc’s collar, pulling him over to the middle of the room. Looking at the shorter man, Valentino brought his free hand up, his fingers ghosting over the collar and the bruises on Marc’s neck before settling in his hair. The way they were standing, Jorge could see everything, but what got him most was the look in Marc’s eyes - disgust, a tiny hint of fear and brokenness, but still so much strength. Valentino must have noticed it, too, as he suddenly grabbed him by his hair, pushing him down into a kneeling position all while still holding his leash. In an attempt to catch a breath, Marc slightly opened his mouth, a tiny gasp escaping before Valentino pressed his face into his crotch.

“You know what to do, bambino.”

Trying to breath through his nose, Marc took the zipper on Valentino’s pants between his teeth and pulled it down before skilfully opening the button with his mouth as well. Once again, Valentino pulled him back by his hair, still a dirty smile on his face when he pushed his now open trousers down, no underwear keeping back his hard dick.

Dropping the leash, he stroke himself a few times, slowly and carefully, until the first drops of pre-cum appeared. Chuckling slightly, he pulled Marc’s face in, smearing it all over his cheek.

Jorge was disgusted. For a single moment, Marc looked over to him and their eyes met. It was enough to break Jorge’s heart. Unable to do anything, he watched on as Valentino pulled in Marc again, forcing the younger man to swallow his length in one go. The quiet background music mixed with Valentino’s moans and Marc’s weak attempts to breath through his nose.

“Oh bambino... si... yeah... si... so close... and don’t you fucking dare to swallow it... YES!”

Valentino’s shout echoed through the room as he relieved himself into Marc’s mouth before quickly pulling out, making sure he’d also come across Marc’s face and torso. And the younger man didn’t even flinch about it. Recovering quickly, Valentino pulled his trousers back up before taking Marc’s leash again and pulling him towards Jorge.

“Why don’t you give our guest here a little taste of what he’s missing out on?”

Jorge could see that Marc was burning with shame as he was stumbling over to him, stopping right in front of him. Feeling complete paralysed with anger, Jorge simply couldn’t move when Marc fell to his knees and bent forward, almost falling over with his hands still bound behind his back.

It could have been such an intimate and sweet thing, feeling Marc’s soft lips on his own, but as soon as he tasted the bitterness of Valentino’s cum, Jorge barely stopped himself from throwing up. He knew that he couldn’t do anything at the moment, any kind of possible attack towards Valentino would have terrible consequences for both of them.

In a slight attempt to make the situation even a tiny bit more bearable for Marc, Jorge brought up his hand, softly stroking his cheek. Yet, the only thing left when they finally broke apart, was a bitter taste.

Valentino’s dark laugh brought him back to his senses. He looked up at the older man, an evil glint in his eyes as he picked up a bottle of expensive liquor from the table next to him. After taking a few gulps, Jorge involuntarily swallowing as well, he walked over to the door, opening it with such force that it crashed into the wall with a loud bang.

“Maria! Get your ass in here!”

A young girl in thin white garments came rushing into the room, her eyes constantly cast on the floor as she bowed down in front of Valentino.

“What is it that you wish, my master?”

“Take Jorge back to his room. And make sure he takes that filthy slut of a slave with him so that anybody you might meet on the way, can see the beautiful way his master has marked him. He’s not allowed to clean himself up until Jorge is in his room. Oh, and when you’re on your way, tell Linda that I will come and see her later on.”

The young slave girl just nodded as Valentino turned his back on her, walking over to the door of the ensuite bathroom. Before stepping through, he once again looked back at Jorge, making the younger man wish, he could somehow wipe that dirty grin of his face.

“I hope you enjoyed the little show and that it will give you sweet dreams tonight.”

Soon the door was closed behind him and the sound of a running shower came filtering through. Jorge was still sitting on the lounger, Marc kneeling in front of him, the drying cum building a stark contrast to his burning red cheeks.

“Sir?”

Jorge looked up at Maria, seeing sympathy in her eyes. He slowly nodded before grabbing Marc’s leash with shaking fingers. He knew that he could get into so much trouble if Valentino would came back into the room right now, but he helped up Marc into a standing position, stroking back a few strands of hair from his forehead.

“I’m so sorry...”

The words had been barely whispered, but Marc nodded in a short response. Taking a deep breath, Jorge tried to regain his posture, before following Maria out of the room. Right now, all he wanted was to get some distance between himself and this room as well as what he had seen in here. He didn’t let go of Marc’s leash, but he made sure to rather walk beside the young man, instead of in front of him. No words were spoken on the way back to Jorge’s room and as if a silent prayer had been heard, nobody had seen them in this state. Standing in front of the closed door, Jorge looked at Maria, who was once again unable to meet his eyes.

“Sir... I’m supposed to take Marc back to our quarters now...”

“I understand. Is there at least a way to unbind him? I don’t want him to fall down the stairs or something.”

“Sir, unfortunately no. Only my master and his slave trainer have the keys... but... I can give you five minutes of privacy while I go and deliver my message to the master’s mistress.”

Finally able to look up at him, Jorge knew why she had said this. Being slaves, they could never stand up against their master without fearing for their life, but this was one way to show that she was no mindless puppet, but a breathing human being, unfairly ripped from her human rights.

“Thank you.”

“Five minutes, Sir.”

Jorge nodded and watched her turn around, before quickly opening the door to his room, slightly pushing Marc inside who was still moving like a lifeless doll after what had happened earlier. It was such a big difference to the young man Jorge had met in the afternoon. Making sure the door was locked behind them, Jorge led Marc over to his bed, helping him to sit down. Without a word, Jorge then disappeared into his bathroom and came back with a wet face cloth. With gentle movements, he started to wipe away the dried cum on Marc’s torso and face, catching a lonely tear that the younger man couldn’t hold back anymore.

“I’m sorry... I...”

“Sshh... There’s nothing to be sorry for. There’s nothing you could have done, not without risking more bruises or even worse. I wish I could have done more though.”

Jorge could see the shocked surprise on Marc’s face when he started talking in Catalan. He had never managed to sound like a real native, but there were no words to describe the look in the younger man’s eyes, hearing his mother tongue probably for the first time in years. Gingerly stroking his cheek, Jorge felt Marc’s soft skin and he felt his heart go out to the younger man as Marc lay his head against his hand, taking in this small gesture of affection in the only way he could.

“How did you end up here of all places?”

He watched Marc’s face. It was almost as if he felt the pain himself as the younger man cast down his eyes, his look like he was far away - like he just visited the day his life had changed forever.

“My father works for Valentino’s fields in rural Catalunya. One summer, there was a plague of vermin, resulting in loosing almost all of the crops by autumn that year. Valentino blamed my father, accused him of ruining it on purpose, and wanted him to pay the whole amount that had been lost. My parents... They don’t have much money. They always tried to give my younger brother and me a good life, but what Valentino demanded was simply impossible for them to pay. So... that left only one way to pay off the debt...”

“But... as an older brother... as a first born... He didn’t have the right to take you.”

“I know... and he didn’t. When I saw the look on my brother’s face, I knew that I wouldn’t have been able to live with it. Alex... he was so young and so innocent... always a bit on the shy side... So, I volunteered to take his place instead.”

Tears were running freely now down Marc’s face. It was like everything that he usually kept hidden inside was breaking free right now. Unable to do anything else, Jorge simply wrapped his arms around Marc, holding him close.

It was only a short moment before the sobbing and the shaking in Marc’s shoulder eased off, the composure all too soon returning to the younger man’s body. Pulling back and trying to lock eyes with him, Jorge was overwhelmed - never before had he seen something like that in another human being, definitely not in somebody who had been a slave for so long. Like a fire that refused to go out, burning with such a heat that it felt like it would consume him any moment.

Feeling the shakiness in his own body, Jorge was completely mesmerized by Marc. Laying his hands on the younger man’s cheeks, he slowly pulled him in, his lips ghosting over his for several moments, before finally closing the distance. This time, there wasn’t even a hint of a bitter taste. It was slow, tenderly, as if they were both afraid they could break the other. Marc pulled back, hesitating for a short moment before laying his forehead against Jorge’s.

“Jorge...”

Hearing his name like this, more a breath than a whisper, was enough for the older man to shed all doubts and fears. He scooped Marc up in his arms, carefully placing him in his lap while holding onto him tightly as he realized that the younger man wouldn’t have a chance to catch himself with his arms still tightly locked behind his back.

Creating goosebumps with his hot breath on Marc’s neck, Jorge soon couldn’t hold back anymore, knowing the clock was ticking for them, as his lips caught the sweet taste of Marc’s skin. Unable to stop himself, his free hand found its way to the younger man’s crotch, his heart beating faster when he realized that he was hard.

Marc could barely hold back the groan as Jorge’s fingers closed around his cock. It only took him a few rough strokes, before Marc bit his lip, holding back the scream as well as he could when he came all over Jorge’s hand. After a moment of taking in the bliss, he felt Marc shiver in his arms. Jorge placed a quick kiss on his shoulder before reaching for the cloth he had used earlier. He cleaned up Marc with careful movements, knowing that he was still very sensitive, but any trace of it on his skin, picked up by the wrong person, could have serious repercussions for him. Just when he had finished wiping him clean, there was a knock on his door.

“Sir?”

Maria’s voice was muffled through the door, yet it still managed to pierce him right through his chest. With a sigh, he helped Marc back onto his feet, one look enough that they both knew that their time was up.

“Yes, we’re coming.”

Jorge dreaded every single step towards the door. And he didn’t even try to imagine how Marc was feeling. One hand on the door handle, the other on Marc’s lower back, Jorge took a deep breath.

“It’s okay...”

Marc’s whispered words broke his heart. He shouldn’t be the one saying it, but in this moment Jorge had one clear thought. No matter what, he would try to make it okay for Marc. Slowly nodding, he hoped that the younger man could see it in his eyes. And that small hint of a smile on his face, was confirmation enough that he actually did. Finally opening the door, they were met by a sheepish looking Maria.

“Sir, I’m sorry... but I have to...”

“I know. Thank you though...”

She nodded before she turned around, waiting for a moment. She didn’t need to say another word for Marc to start following her. However, the young man kept looking back over his shoulder, holding Jorge’s gaze until they had disappeared around the corner.

~*~

Looking out on the Tuscan landscape in the early morning sun, felt strangely unsettling. His breakfast still untouched, Jorge was chasing one thought after another. For any onlookers, he might have just looked tired as he hid behind his sunglasses, tapping his fingers in a steady rhythm on the table in front of him.

“Trouble sleeping?”

Hearing Valentino’s voice made him crash back into the here and now as he hadn’t noticed him coming out onto the terrace. But looking up at the dirty grin, was all it took to chase away the last traces of doubt and fear.

“Yeah. Your beds aren’t comfy.”

“And I here I thought it was due to a little Catalan ass chasing your dreams.”

Picking a grape from the fruit plate on the table, Valentino popped it into his mouth as he sat down in the chair opposite of Jorge. The Spaniard wished he could just wipe the smugness off the older man’s face.

“Speaking of it, how did you acquire the boy? Slaves from that area are not common...”

“Says you who calls a very fine Catalan specimen his own... But Marc’s something special and I’m not just speaking about his particular skills. He came into my house as a payment for his family’s debt.”

“And what’s the figure we’re talking about here?”

Valentino was about to answer, when a frown appeared on his face. He closed his mouth again for a moment, eyeing Jorge suspiciously.

“A figure even you wouldn’t be able to pay. He’s part of my very personal collection and not for sale. I always thought you were that one man speaking out against slavery, only owning a single one yourself. And all of the sudden you’re interested in buying one from me.”

“Like you said. He’s special.”

“Yeah. And he’s mine. So fuck off, Lorenzo. And when you’re back home and Dani is sucking your dick, think about how I can fuck Marc every single night.”

The smirk firmly plastered onto his face, Valentino got up again and went back inside. Never before had Jorge come to a point when he wanted to actually kill somebody - until this very moment.

~*~

“You seem off. Ever since you came back from Valentino’s...”

“Hmm...”

“And even quieter than usual...”

Stepping off the treadmill, Jorge reached for the towel Dani was holding out to him. He could literally feel his eyes burning into his back as he wiped his face. Unable to look up at him, Jorge walked over to the huge glass front of his personal gym. It was one of those rare rainy days in Barcelona. Drops of rain were running down the smooth surface of the window, the background of his family’s estate dulled into grey by the dark clouds.

“Jorge, what’s going on?”

Sighing, Jorge lay his forehead against the cold glass. He knew that he must have looked like a real mess, but nobody, except Dani, was around anyway. And it was only in situations like this that the older man was allowed to call him by his first name - when they weren’t master and slave, but friends.

“Did I ever treat you as anything else but a human being? Did I ever force you to do anything you didn’t want to do? Did I ever hurt you...?”

“No, never. But why...”

“Nothing... Sometimes I just wonder if I’m really a good person because when I see something that is so so wrong, I can’t do anything about it.”

Not wanting to wait for Dani’s answer, Jorge turned around and walked past him to the open door of his bedroom. However, Dani’s look told him more than a thousand words.

“Can you please tell my father that I won’t be coming over for lunch? I’m going on a ride...”

~*~

As always, riding his bike had cleared his head. And had helped him make a decision that he would probably start to regret by tomorrow - but he was already beyond backing out. Sitting back on the sofa, Jorge looked into the open fireplace, its light turning the living room into a dance hall for shadows. It was almost as if a hundred ghosts were sharing the silence with him.

A soft knock made him turn around, seeing Dani come in with a bottle of wine and a glass on a tray he was carrying. Without saying a word, Dani placed the tray on a small table before opening the bottle skilfully and pouring a glass for Jorge. He took it with his right hand, looking at it for a long moment. And suddenly it was like the final piece of a puzzle fit in with the whole picture.

Almost dropping the glass, Jorge thought it through, thinking about the possibilities. A small smile appeared on his face when he finally took a sip, tasting the expensive wine in his mouth before swallowing it. He nodded at Dani, signalling him that he had brought a fine bottle. The older man slightly bowed his head and was about to turn around again, when Jorge finally spoke up.

“Please sit down. I need to talk to you for a minute.”

Dani was hesitating. Despite them having a rather unique relationship, he could feel the atmosphere in the room. But in the end he sat down, raising his eyebrows in a silent question.

“Dani... I hope that you know how much I enjoy your company. I know how often we talked about me unbinding you from your duties. And I respect your reasons for staying in my service...”

“Why are we talking about this again?”

“Please let me finish... Dani... Tomorrow afternoon, I will head back to Italy and pay Valentino another visit. And I can’t guarantee my safe return from this trip. If, for whatever reason, something happens to me and I won’t return, I need you to do one last task for me.”

Dani frowned at him, worry and confusion clearly written on his face.

“What do you mean? Why shouldn’t you return?”

Looking back at the cackling fire, Jorge sighed and closed his eyes for a moment.

“If I don’t return... There will be an envelope in the top drawer of my desk in my study. In there should be a note releasing you from my service and enough money for you to pay your debt and built a life for yourself. However... I need you to stay around for a few more days. Because there’s the slight possibility... despite anything else that might happen... that a young man might turn up. He’s Catalan, like you. He will need some help and I want you to take care of him, until he can settle down in safety. I know that this is a lot to ask from you, but there is no one else I could or would trust with that. Will you promise to do that for me?”

Jorge had to swallow against the tears and when he looked up, he saw the very same expression on Dani’s face. Followed by a short nod of his head.

“I promise you... even though I sincerely hope you will be back.”

Jorge reached out to take Dani’s hand, squeezing it so tightly. He hoped that the older man realized that there was so much more unspoken. Their touch showing that they both understood what it meant. Sighing, Jorge let go of Dani’s hand reluctantly before taking his glass of wine for another sip.

“Dani... you did help in my father’s wine fields last fall, right? And the whole process in the cellar?”

“Yeah, why?”

“Then I need your help tonight...”

~*~

Only a couple of days ago, Jorge wouldn’t have thought that he would find himself again in that room in Valentino’s Tuscan villa. But that had been before he had looked into Marc’s eyes, before he had made a plan that could literally cost him his life.

He had expected Valentino to be more sceptical about him returning after only two days, but obviously the letter of apology - signed without being read by his father’s drunken hand - and the five bottles of his family’s personal wine collection, one of the most expensive harvest and year one could get around the world, had been enough to convince the Italian. And in the same moment as Jorge had stepped over his threshold, Valentino had announced that they would celebrate tonight in a very special way. Somehow, Jorge was quite sure what this would entail.

Looking across the room, Jorge’s eyes landed on the bed. Memories immediately hit him. He could basically see Marc in front of his eyes again, taste him, feel the softness of his skin. And the same fire he had seen in the younger man’s eyes, was now burning in his chest.

With shaking fingers Jorge pulled out the piece of paper he had kept hidden away in the pocket of his trousers. Once again, he read the lines, his writing neat but nervous, in a language he had learned as a child, never mastered, but its speakers very rare in Italy.

_Marc,_

_I hope these lines will reach you in the right space and time. The last time I saw you, I made a promise to myself that I would make it alright for you. This is probably the most stupid and dangerous thing I’ve ever done, but if it pays off, it will be worth it in the end. I can’t tell you exactly what my plan entails, but I need you to remember the following things tonight. You probably know this, but at the end of Valentino’s gardens, there is a forest with a river running through it. If you get the chance to run tonight, please take it. Take it and don’t worry about anybody or anything else. Make it down to the river. It will lead you past a small town to another estate which to belongs to a man, Max Biaggi, who’s a friend of mine and despises Valentino and everything he stands for. He will be able to help you. He will make sure that you’ll be able to travel to Spain in safety. There, somebody will be waiting for you at my house - either myself or someone close to me. You can trust this man, I promise, because I do so with my life. If for any reason we won’t see each other again, please try to get free, try to see your family again and live the life you’re worthy of. That’s all I want._

_J_

Sighing, Jorge folded the piece of paper again, just in time before there was a hesitant knock on his door followed by a muffled female voice.

“Sir? You were asking for me?”

“Come in.”

Turning towards the door, Jorge watched Maria entering his room. The young female slave kept her eyes on the ground, her movements carefully, almost as if she could sense the tension in the room.

“Please close and lock the door. And don’t worry. Nothing is going to happen to you. I have a task for you, but you are allowed to refuse it if you don’t want to do it.”

Maria followed Jorge’s orders, his words bringing a frown to her face. For a moment, Jorge wasn’t so sure anymore if it had been a good idea to drag her into this, but then he could still remember her look when she had taken such a big risk so that he could spent a few precious minutes with Marc on that fateful evening. As gently as possible, Jorge lay his fingers on Maria’s chin, carefully lifting it up until their eyes met. And just like he had hoped, that fire of resistance, that human glow, was still burning inside her.

“Like I said - you have the freedom to say no to what I’m about to ask from you... I have a letter which you need to take to Marc for me. It is important that it gets to him before the preparations for tonight’s celebration start. Don’t say anything to anyone, not even Marc. He will know who it is from. Don’t let anybody see you and most importantly, don’t let anybody read that letter. If you can’t get it to Marc safely, destroy it. Unfortunately, there’s nothing I can give you for carrying out this task, other than my wish that one day you will taste the freedom again which you seek in your heart.”

For a long moment they looked into each other’s eyes. Jorge had to swallow against the lump in his throat when he saw the shimmer of tears threatening to spill on the young girl’s face, but with the short movement of a clipped nod, they seemed to disappear.

“I will do what you ask of me.”

“Thank you... I don’t know what else to say other than thank you.”

Trying to keep his fingers from shaking, Jorge reached into his pocket and pulled out the note to Marc. There was no moment of hesitation as Maria took it, folded it once again and pushed it down the neckline of her shirt.

“At least one of us gets a chance...”

Her mumbled words made Jorge shiver as he watched her turn around, her hand lingering on the door handle for a moment before leaving, the metal cuffs on her wrists catching and reflecting the low light of the room.

~*~

Jorge already heard the loud music before entering Valentino’s living room, setting off an uneasy feeling in his stomach. What he saw once he had gone through the door, almost made him throw up. It was like an opium induced dream...

There were several slaves lounging in the room, most of them wearing only the most necessary clothes. In the middle of them, sitting on the sofa closer to the door, was Uccio - Valentino’s slave trainer and friend. There was a young male slave sitting in his lap. Whenever he shifted, the huge key ring on his hip was jingling like a strange note to the slow music in the background.

On the other side of a huge table, where the bottles of wine had been arranged in between all kinds of expensive food, was Valentino. He was half lying on a yellow lounger, his shirt unbuttoned - his arms lazily wrapped around Marc’s completely naked body.

For a moment it was like Jorge forgot how to breath. He couldn’t take his eyes of Marc who was sitting there like a lifeless doll, staring into the distance. Jorge barely managed to hold back his anger when he noticed the bruises on the younger man’s body. Scattered over his torso, arms and legs, they painted a horrible picture in all possible colours of abuse. The gold of his new cuffs around his wrists as well as the collar on his neck built a stark contrast to his slightly tanned skin. Jorge just wished he could speak out to him, make him look into his eyes and tell him that it would be alright - that he would make it alright. As if something or someone had heard him, Marc looked up at exactly this moment. And it was more than obvious that there was still a fire burning inside him. This one second, when it was just them, everybody else oblivious about it, was enough for Jorge to know that Marc had read his letter.

“Ah, Jorge! Come and join us!”

Valentino smiled as he pulled Marc even closer, pressing his body to his back and looking at Jorge over Marc’s shoulder.

“As you enjoyed Marc so much the last time, I thought he would be a great addition to our little celebration tonight. But like I said, he’s not one to share. You can choose somebody else though. I have a very fine collection here tonight.”

Jorge looked around the room, almost appearing to consider Valentino’s suggestion, but inside him there was only disgust. In the end he simply shook his head.

“Nothing to my taste...”

“What a pity,” Valentino mumbled into Marc’s neck, his tongue coming out to slowly lick the younger man’s skin. Jorge could clearly see the Marc shaking in response.

For a moment he hesitated in the doorway. His eyes lingered on the bottles on the table, while his right hand pulled out the key to his room. As if in deep thought, he played with the key before letting it disappear into the pocket of his jacket.

“I think it’s rather a pity that those bottles are still untouched...”

Pulling off his jacket, Jorge walked across the room and dropped it on the chair next to Valentino’s lounger. With skillful hands he reached for the corkscrew, quickly opening the first bottle. Bringing the pulled cork up to his nose, he smelled the very heavy scent of the wine, the different flavours of this particular vintage promising a unique taste. He immediately knew that he had picked just the right wine for this occasion. In a swift motion he poured three glasses, putting one down in front of Uccio and taking the other two over to Valentino.

“As this is supposed to be a celebration, I think we should finally clink glasses...”

Jorge held out the glass to Valentino, his arm slightly brushing Marc’s shoulder as the older man took it.

“To our new relationship...”

“As long as it might last...”

Jorge noticed Marc looking up at the sound of their glasses touching. He made sure to keep up the eye contact as he took his first sip of the wine, its taste heavy on his tongue.

~*~

Jorge had lost the count on how many glasses they had drunk already. He only had made sure that he always kept up with Valentino and Uccio. And the effects were beginning to show.

Jorge could feel the heaviness in his limbs, worse than usual when drinking. His thoughts were getting slower and slower, his eyelids dropping every single second. Falling back onto the couch next to Uccio, Jorge also noticed that the atmosphere in the room had changed.

While Valentino and Uccio seemed to be quite oblivious to the fact that they were in the same state as Jorge, the slaves started to get nervous. He could see it in their eyes that they wanted to speak out, wanted to enquire what was going on, but kept quiet due to the fear of their master lashing out on them. His main focus was on Marc though - who just kept sitting still, Valentino’s arm still draped around him, his laboured breathing the only hint that he was very much aware of what was really going on around him.

Bringing his glass of wine up to his lips once again, Jorge looked at Marc. Their eyes met in the moment, when Jorge felt Uccio’s heavy weight on him, the older man collapsing against him. He was waiting for Valentino’s reaction, ready for a shocked cry calling him out, ready for his whole plan to backfire in just this second.

However, he only noticed now that Valentino had sunk back on the lounger, his eyes closed, his body showing no movements. Feeling his own conscious being on the line, slowly but surely slipping away from him, Jorge reached out to Marc, even though he knew that the few metres that were separating them were too much to overcome in his state. He just wanted to feel him one last time, feel his soft warm skin before it was too late.

“Run...”

The word was no more than a simple breath escaping his lips, the heaviness in his mind too much as Jorge gave in to the darkness.

~*~

Jorge eyed the glass of water which Dani had put on the table next to his sun lounger. He wanted to reach out, but then he remembered that it wouldn’t help with the sandpaper feeling in his throat anyway. Sighing, he pulled on the blanket covering his legs and looked back out into the garden. He could feel Dani’s eyes on him, the worry seeping through to him, like so often in the last couple of weeks since he had been sent home from the hospital in Italy.

“You know what the doctors said...”

“I don’t care.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Jorge saw Dani getting down on his knees next to him. Jorge hated this submissive position, especially when it put them on the same level with him lying on the lounger, but he didn’t have the energy to argue right now.

“It’s been three weeks, Dani.”

“I know.”

“He should have made it by now...”

“You never know, he could still be out there. And that’s all the more reason for you to take care of yourself, get your strength back, because he will need you once he’ll make it.”

Jorge heard Dani’s words, but in his heart he didn’t believe them. Never in his life had he been this hopeless before. Biting his lips to stop the threatening tears from falling, he could feel pure despair in his heart and for a single second he wondered if it wouldn’t have been better if they had actually made it to the last bottle, two more glasses to definite inevitability for all of them.

“It doesn’t matter anyway...”

Seeing that Dani was about to protest, Jorge turned his head away, ready to send the older man away, when a cough from the wide open terrace door caught their attention.

“I’m really sorry to interrupt, my lord, but there’s someone here to see you.”

“I’m really not in the mood for visitors, Hector. Tell them to come back another day.”

“Jorge...”

Jorge could feel the blanket slip from his grasp when he heard the voice. He was sure that this had to be a dream, that this couldn’t be real. Staring down at his lap, he couldn’t turn around, fear catching onto him that his mind was playing a dirty trick on him. He barely noticed Dani getting up and stepping back, before somebody else took his place. Jorge tried to resist, but in the end he turned his head, letting his eyes wander up from the jeans clad legs to the black hoodie - up to the face he thought he would never see again.

“Marc...”

“I finally made it...”

Those four words were enough for Jorge to finally break into tears. Sobbing uncontrollably, he grabbed Marc’s hoodie, pulling him down until he was more or less sitting in his lap. He was beyond forming words as he pressed his face into Marc’s chest, holding him tightly, not willing to let him move at all.

After moments that seemed like hours, Jorge managed to look up. His tears were reflected in Marc’s eyes as he reached out, letting his fingers only lightly touch his face. He looked tired and thin, but it was really him. His Marc.

His fingers found their way down his neck, lingering on the place that once had been covered by a golden collar, now free from any shackles for him to touch, to feel the warmth and beating of his heart under his fingertips. This sight set off the strength in Jorge to pull Marc into a kiss that felt like so much more than just two people finally having found each other after a journey through the darkest times right into the light; and they were sure that the taste of freedom was the sweetest they had ever tasted in their life.

 


End file.
